Yarn winding machine



A sePt- 10,1946.' l.. M. vcoTcl-IETT ETAL 2,407,366

YARN WINDINGMACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1945 17 Sheets-Sheet l Il l| Ii Il Il as 'a f l e= i s w :i m3 i 1W. Q e! lo u v LL v -(c' :l

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YARN WINDING MACHINE 17 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Jan; 19, 1943 Sept. 10, 1946. L. M. coTcHl-:TT ET AL 2,407,366

YARN W'INDING MACHINEJ Filed Jan. 19, 1943 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TORS Sept. 10, 1946.

L. M. COTCHETT ET AL YARN WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, `194s 17 Sheets-Sheet 4.

lnnnnllllnsnuunu-n "n "Ill Sept. 10,1946.- I.. M. coTcHETT ET AL 2,407,366

YARN WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19., 1943 17 sheets-sheet 5 INVEN ORS sept. 10, 1946.

L. M. COTCHETT -ET AL YARN WINDING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Jan. 19, 1943 .F.Ndm. ...hun

QQ mUQNQ QQ Sept. 10, 1946. l.. M. coTcHETT ET AL 2,407,366

YARN WINDING MACHINE y Filed'JaIl. 19, 1943 i 17 Sheets-Sheet '7 INVENToRs n v 17 Sheets-Sheet 8 YARN WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1943 INVENTORS Sept. 10, 1946.

Sept. 10,. 1946. 1"..'MQcoTcl-IEI'T ETAL 'i 2,407,366

YARN WINDING MACHINE 17 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed Jan. .19, 194s` Sept. 1'0, 1946. M. coTcHr-:TT ET AL 2,407,366

YARN WINDING MACHINE v Filed Jan. 19, 1943 17 ASheets-Sheel: l0

Sept. 10, 1946. L.. M. cOTcHETT ET AL YARN WINDING MACHINE 17 sheets-sheet 11 Filed Jan. 19, 194s Sept. 10,1946. v L M. coTcHETT ET AL YARN WINDING MACHINE Y FiledJan. 19; 1943 A17 Smeets-sheet 12 Sept. 10,' 1946. L.. M. coTcHETT ET A1.

YIARN WINDING MACHINE Fi-led Jan. 19., 1945 1'7 Sheets-Sheet 15 IN1/E ORS Sept. 10, 1946. l L.. M. coTcHETT-l-:T AL 2.40.7565

YARN WINDING MACHINE rFiled Jan. 19, 1943 17 Sheets-Sheet 14 n INV TORS Sptfl, 1946. l.. M. co'rvcHET-r ET AL 2,407,355

YARN wiNDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1943 l 17 She'eoS-SheeI l5 IN VEN TORI Sept. 1'0, 1946. L.. M. coTf-:Hl-:TT lu-:T ALA 2,407,365

YARN WINDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1943. -1'7 sheets-sheet 1e Y Sept. l0, 1946. L. M. coTcHET'r x-:T AL l 2,407,366

' v YARN wINDING MACHINEY Filed Jan. 19t 1943 17 Sheets-Sheet 17 Patented Sept. 1o, 1946 "YARNVWINDING MACHINE Louis M. `Cotchett; Hingham, and Lesterampbell nand FerdinandfF. Stange, Westfield,4 Mass.,l assignors1 to Foster Machine Company, Westfield,

Mass., acorporation of 'Massachusetts Applicationanuary 19, 1943, Serial `No.` 472,862

22` Claims. l

The present invention relates tonewf and use- "fnlirnprovements in :winding machines and more particularly'. to'za'novel -and improved vsemieauto- --rnaticyarnwinden Objects and advantages'of the invention will .be

set forth in part` hereinafter 'and'iu part will be "'obviousherfrom, or 'maybe learned by'practice with theinvention,'the same beingfrealized and Aattained .by means of therinstrumentalities. Yand combinations pointed out .irrthevappended claims.

.Theinventiontconsists in' the novelparts, con- 1- structions, 2 arrangements, :combinations and imiprovements hereinshown and described.

The accompanying"drawingsreferred to herein"andrconstituting"apart hereof1 illustrate one f embodiment'. of i theA invention, and together with 'lustrative embo'dimentfof the presentfinvention and shows the preferred form thereof;

Figure` l-B is anlend'elevation of the head end or driving end of the machine; Y Y

Figure l-C is a side elevation ofFigure l-B; yFigure 'Z-A isa fragmentary side .elevation of .some of thewinding units' and the tender, the

upperpo-rltion en lybeingshown;

Figure 2-.B is the .lowerportion of the sideelevation; Figure V{fi- A is-a fragmentary vertical. section showingt-he upper portion. of one. .of 1 the Winding `units and the travellingtender;

Y Figure S-B shows-the lowenlportiefnrot the ver-k tical section-shown inigure 3A;

A-.Figureti is'afragmentarysectional ViewV ofY the upper portionof theten'derandkwinding unit showing certain of the partstiir several positions,

and with many partsY omitted for clarity;

and 'two slots'running transversely across `the 'duct'. intersectingfthe long narrowslot.

'Figure 5 isv al'fragmentaryito-p plan View ci a, Win'dingunit showing the position of the strand "of1yarn,-and"with the outline-oi certain ofthe tender pat-ts being'- superimposed onl the View;

FigurefE-fA is a'fragmentary top plan view of certain of theparts showing the assembled yarn ends; n n y lFigure 6is aVieW similarto Figure 5-,A showiiig the tender moved to `a further positien, the running thread or-yarn'having been joinedand (Cl. 24E-35.6) p

, .2 knotted and vWith f the running .threadt or yarn entering -a `tensionand yslnbbing mechanism;

Winding unit an-d showing the yarn supply mass `5 `supportingmeansand tension device inside elevation;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary front elevation parts shown inFig-ure 7;

Figure =9 vis a fragmentary "vertical *section to showingfa bobbin being doffedfromftheyarnfsupply mass supportingmeans;

YFigures 1^0-to- 20 -are fragmentary viewsfshowing various positions oi' the cam means'indifferent phases vof 'their operation. FiguresrlO, 12,14

.i5 Vand 16 areffront'elev'ations of the"camsshown in side elevation--in-Figures `'11g/13,15 and `1'7, respectively'the-stages of operation'shown inthe pairs of vevvs being the same. Fi'gure`fl19`is a f fragmentary top plan vView 'ofr the camimeans" and l, zo Figure' 20 is atop plan 'view'foft'hefrackffandpinion means shown in'Figiire 1-8;

, Figure 21 isav4 top "plan View Aof the yarn supplymass holding and' repieni'sl'iirrgv means;

'Figures `22 to .'"27 `are "elevations, "with l'certain g5 parts omitted,A 'of' the"'In'eansshown' in"Figureif21,

the successive vieWs' being taken "from circum- 'ferentialiy Yspaced""points 'corresponding to Vthe position or the respective views Figure" 22 thus Ybeing taken along a 'lineext'endingfrom fthe kcen- 30 vtral shaft 'in'Figure`21'to` the same centralshaft as shown in Figure 22; Y

Figure 28 is a "fragmentary vertical section showing a^winding 'unitin starting position;

Figure 29 is'a similar view showing the Winding :r'unitin7 knocked-off position suchas might be causedby'exhaustion of the yarn supply;

*"Figure`30`ie alside elevation of an assembly of 'parts showing the suction duct rocked ahead vand downyvhieh movement brings the knotterinto 40 'position'for tying'two strands ,ofA yarn.

Figure 3l is `a`front elevation, With parts removed; to show YtheA knetter loweredv tok a` position justipriorito vengaging the tvv'o'strands of yarn Vbeforetying same together. A

'Figure-32 'is'a"fr0nt elevation, similar iso-Figure 31, but with the -`knetter a'fivanced'by the" travel of the' tenderjtothe'po'stion for engaging? the tWo mtrands 'or yarn' at IYtle beginning the knot" tying operation.

@FigtirefBS-isa fro-nt'elevationg'simiiar to Figures 4Bxlvami A32 but with-lmotter stillfurther-advanced, .bythe traveLoi the tender, to the positionl reached at the .completionoi the knot tyingv operation'.

'Figuret isafro-nt elevation, similar to Figures 55 3l, B2 and V33 but with the knetter in itsnornral ,of the Figuref'is avertical sectionalview througha' idle position up and away from its knot tying position.

Figure 35 is a timing diagram showing the time relation of the various operations, of the tender and of the winding unit.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved substantially automatic winding machine for winding yarn or other strand material into packages. A further object is the provision of a winding machine requiring a minimum of attention on the part of the operative, and which requires only the manual replacement of the fully wound packages with new cores on which the yarn is to be wound and the manual loading into the machine of new supply masses of yarn. The invention further provides a winding machine in which the free end of the yarn on a package may be easily found and picked up and the end of the yarn may be drawn off more readily than heretofore. Still another object is the provision of improved winding machine in which the replenishment, assembling and knotting operations are performed only on those units where the yarn has been exhausted from a supply mass or winding has stopped for other reasons.

Further objects of the invention are to provide selectively operable bobbin dofling means so that only those bobbins from which yarn is not being drawn are doffed; to provideran improved yarn end finding and drawing off means; to provide improved means for reversing the yarn package being wound during the yarn end assembling operation; and, among other objects, to provide for an improved, simplified winding machine which will wind at high speeds and produce a large number of wound packages economically.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, here disclosed, the invention is illustratively applied to a multi-unit winding machine having a plurality of surface driven winding units arranged in a continuous series, each winding unit cornprising a constantly rotating driving roll, a pivoted arm carrying a package core receiving spinl dle or shaft which can be .lowered to bring the core into driving relation to the roll so that yarn or Aother filamentous material is wound on the package by the rotation of the roll and core. Usual yarn guide means are traversed back and forth across the surface of the package to wind the yarn properly on the core.

The `winding package normally rests upon and is driven by the roll and is lifted and held away therefrom by a cam and latch mechanism to an idle or non-driving position upon any discontinu-- ance of the flow of the yarn being wound as inclicated and controlled by a yarn detector ordropwire normally held in operative position by the running strand being wound.

The winding units are preferably identical and may be divided into two groups of about fifty each. the two groups facing in opposite directions, while the driving rolls for each group are alined, mounted on and driven by a common shaft, each of the t'wo group shafts being driven by a separate motor at the desired winding speed.

Adjacent each of the winding units is provided a support for a plurality of the yarn supply mass broken.

The yarn supply masses normally comprise spinning bobbins and the holder for them is formed as a rotatable member having, in a preferred arrangement, three parallel bob-bin receiving pins, extending in a generally upward direction, each of the pins being adaptable to receive a bobbin. As one bobbin becomes exhausted, or the strand of yarn becomes broken, the holder may be rotated to bring the completely or an incompletely exhausted bobbin to an intermediate position and the same movement brings a reserve bobbin into winding-01T position, the same movement also moving the exhausted bobbin through a dofng operation in which the bobbin is removed from the pin, said pin being rotated around to a loading position for a fresh supply bobbin.

When the bobbin is rotated into the intermediate position, it may be observed by the operative as to whether there is any yarn remaining thereon, so that option may be had for its proper disposition by hand. If suicient yarn appears upon the bobbin to justify, the operative may place the bobbin in the reserve position so that it will be subsequently moved into running-off position and the drawing off of the yarn resumed.

If, however, there is no yarn on the bobbin the operative ignores it and it is doffed from its Supporting pin in the same movement which brings the supply bobbin into the running-off position and the exhausted bobbin into the intermediate or observation position. The pins are preferably pivotally mounted on their holder, with the axis of the holder such that the pins are slightly inclined and means are provided for swinging the exhausted bobbin and pin downward and outwardly as it moves through the dofng operation to the loading position, thereby providing for the exhausted bobbin to be thrown downwardly and to drop by gravity from the pin.

Adjacent the holder is provided a slide directed toward the reserve bobbin pin so that the operative need only drop the bobbin on the slide and it will be automatica-Hy guided onto the reserve bobbin pin thereby expediting the operatives work in replenishing the bobbins.

Cooperating with the several winding units in succession, and moving relatively to them is a tender, and means are preferably provided for moving the tender past the several winding units which are preferably fixed with reference to the machine frame. The tender is supportedby and moves on a trackway, which trackway preferably extends along the multi-unit winding machine near its base and forms an endless track having two straight portions parallel to each other, one at either side of the machine, these straight portions being connected at the ends by curved track portions which provide an endless path, of generally oblong shape.

On the tender and near its lower portions is provided a motor which is drivingly connected with traction devices carried by the tender and engaging the trackway. Conventionally, the traction devices may be a belt supported by pulleys, the belt resting on one member of the trackway, and connected through variable ratio gearing to the motor so that the speed of travel of the tender past the winding units may be varied at will and adjusted to size of the supply package and speed of winding of the yarn or other lamentous material being wound (which is the duration of exhaustion), or the speed of the operative in handling the bobbin, or the most efcient combination of these factors.

The traction motor preferably receives its power from;.af bus :banextending along and "1 optionally Hformingip articf ithe trackway; the returmcircuit .being grounded,andzp'oweris preferably supplied atan inherently .safe voltage so that no hazard is V,createdin.,case: the Voperatives body should shortl,circuitthe powersupply. Preferably the voltage is. in; the neighborhood` of. twenty-ve volts, and

1 found .andsucked into the nozzle bythe current of air. Whilethe suction nozzle'may be of a width greater than the package being wound, it .is accurately .proportionedto directly control the length of the loose end rof the yarn sucked and .drawn from the-wound package, so that the length mayzbe sufcientlylongto be tied up but is prevventecl;.if1. nn being unnecessarily long, thereby preventing Waste of the yarn. To provide for the suction, the tender carries a blower which may be conveniently driven by the traction motor, or the*blowerrnay be electrically driven, independ- Vvent ofthe traction motor, andthe suctionnozzle 'is connected to the intake side of the blower by an air duct extending fora-considerable distance in a generally downward and outwardly direction away fromV the package.

.l\..[eans are also provided for reversely rotating lthe package as the tender passes so that the entire periphery of the-wound package may be explored 1 forthe loose end and, once the end is found, it will`be unwound 'from the package throughits reversed rotation. In the illustrativel embodiment, an idle roll is mounted at'the upper and forward portion ofthe' tender-supported air duct, closely adjacent to the suction-nozzle, and means areprovidedior moving the rollerv between the package and `its driving roll. `With the package thus kraised orin'its non-winding position, these means also serve so to time the period of contact of theidle roller with the driving roll and package that only a predeterminedv length ofyarn will be unwound'from the package.

VTof expedite! and insure 'the freeing of the yarn end from the surface of the package,` a blowing nozzle is provided immedi'ateiy next tothe suction nozzle, the 'exhaust air ffrornthe' blower is directed-to ow alo-ng the "tcp of thevsuction 'nozzle so that, when `the suction' nozzle is extended, `an :opening is'formed by the mouth of the nozzle andits supporting casing so that-the exhaustblast is caused to 'impinge tangentially across the periphery othe wound package'be- -fore being 'drawn into the suction. nozzle mouth,

thereby'consi'derably enhancing the sweeping actionof the'air current to blow free, lift and draw 'oir thek loose end 'from the wound package into the suction nozzle.

Means may also be provided'for braking the package' being wound during'it's reverseV rotation so as to limit'the amount of yarn drawn'from'the package immediately after the yarn end has been found and drawn off by suction. 'When'the correct predetermined length of strand rhas been sucked and drawn'fromthe unwinding package, cam means, carried in part by the tender and `op- `erated'by the relative movement''of the'tender and winding unit, operateA to apply a'friction member against the package to stop its rotation,

thereby preventing needless wasteff yarn.

r6 .Y This arrangement ofY directing the exhaust blast is also advantageous as itipromotes the removal of.lint,.dust and other 'foreign matter from the winding unit, since asthe suction nozzle is 5 r-letracted the blast may escape generally in the directionof winding units and the tension de- Yvices th'at respectively lserve them, thus blowing 01T v'stray lint and cotton hairs before they may v accumulate into gouts or rat-tails to be drawn into :and interfere with the tensioning or slubbing means,ior tobe picked up by the flow of the yarn being woundand included in the wound y package as a slugv togivetrouble in subsequent yarn processing operations.

In order to preventrecirculation of Suchforeign matter as may be drawn into the suction nozzleas vwell ascyarnswhich are cut off in knotting `the blowerzis .preferably provided with a separator so that. allsuch entrained material is removed from thelair the `blo-Wer and is not blown out to foul :the winding mechanism from whichitwasremoved.

Along the trailingedge and at the underside of the suction ductis provided along narrow slot extendinginto the nozzle, and for a considerable distance toward the blower, and means are provided for engaging the `yarn drawn into the suction duct and for removing it from the duct through this long narrow slot. For this purpose i0 a .second :lslot ,parallel to the path of movement .oi-biche tender, yinteresects the long narrow slot, a hook memberis provided on each winding vunit on the frame which-.hook may enter and passthrough the second slotias the tender moves. VDuring this passage the hook engages the yarn lying in the duct'so. as to slide the yarn laterally of' the duct and finally through the longv narrow slot,.the :length of yarn having been determined bythe periodfof Contact of the idler` roll with `:the driving roll and package, and being more .than 'sufficient to extend .past the second slot. 4Preferably,this yarn engaging and removing hook also holds and carries the lleading end of the yarn from theireserve supply bobbin so as to assemble :the: leadingend ofthe reserve yarn supply with the exhausted endfofthe yarn Ywound on the package,therebypositioning the two yarn ends readily "for tying, either manually or by a mechanical'knotter. 50 j- 'The'.knottermay?be ofconventional design, and

'preferably mounted .onthe tender so as to receve',"engage, andtie the assembled yarn ends into afsecureknot of the desired type, after which the surplusyarn4 beyond the knot is trimmed in "thefusual mannen` -Where ra mechanical knotter is `used and Acarried 'by thetender, it is preferably 'actuated'in*correct timedfrelation by the travel of thejknottenpa'st the winding unit.

y "Thus each 4wimiing unit vcontinues to wind yarn 60 trom, a. supply masser bobbin ontoa package by Vcontact.ofthe package with'. the driving roll, and

when `theyarn supplyfhas been exhausted, the

supply holder. isfrotated-tomove the reservefyarn plyzinto --.winding-ofi` .position, simultaneously Uvingfthe-exhausted bobbiniinto anintermediazeipositionfor inspection `asto itscompletion o'rfezdiaustion'iand the previous intermediate bobbinv is defied romits'supporting pin by the tilting* of'the pin said pin'is then Vrestored to its upright positionby the same movement, ready to v'receive a fnew supply lmass "dropped onto it 1through the sii'deb'y the operative. Asl the operative drops the new bobbin into place, its leading yarn vendlis held and preferably placed in the 

